Apple Watch Series 3 Month: A Comprehensive Review

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 16:39

A life hacker will help you get a complete picture of Apple smartwatches and decide whether to update owners of previous Apple Watch series.

Equipment

In the box with the Apple Watch Series 3, we found a stingy gentleman's set: an induction charging tablet, a 1 A plug, a silicone strap with one additional buckle of a different length, and documentation.

Modifications

Unfortunately, Apple Watch Series 3 with eSIM support, as well as Hermès and Edition modifications, are not presented in Russia. This means that variations with sapphire crystal, steel and ceramic cases are not sold here either.

What you can choose: one of two sizes (38 mm and 42 mm), one of four colors of the silicone strap (smoky, pink, gray and black), depending on which one of three colors of the aluminum case will be offered (silver, gold and “gray space ).

There is also a Nike + modification for athletes and fans of the brand of the same name - with themed design of the dials and special mesh straps.

There is no difference in specifications depending on the size. The price difference is small - relative to the cost of the watch itself. Therefore, here it is worth being guided only by personal preferences. I have an Apple Watch with a body length of 38 mm, and I really like it, I don't feel prejudiced, I don't want a "full" version.

Frame

Visual differences between different versions of Apple Watch are minimal: it is the same case with rounded edges and corners. On one side there are a button and a digital crown (wheel), on the opposite side there are holes for speakers and a microphone, and a panel with sensors is attached to the hand.

The only modification with an aluminum body available in Russia is protected by high strength Ion-X glass. The case itself does not collect scratches: after a month of active use, not a single one was found. The only thing you can find fault with is not the absolute fixation of the button, which causes a barely noticeable backlash.

The 38 mm version does not cause any inconvenience: the case is small, the weight of the watch is practically not felt. There were no problems with the narrow sleeves of the shirts. Only sleeping with them is uncomfortable, but, I suspect, this is due to my lack of the habit of wearing a watch in principle. Let's be honest: in a dream, Apple Watch is not needed, especially since the developers have not offered an official application for tracking sleep phases.

What's new

Apple Watch Series 3 in Russia can be regarded as a rather minor update of the previous series: the list of innovations is small, and many of them are insignificant. What we got in Series 3:

• new S3 processor and the fastest possible watchOS 4;
• speaking Siri;
• 8 GB of memory (taking into account programs and system information - about 5.5 GB) and the ability to listen to music from Apple Music without a phone;
• altimeter (altimeter) - an important sensor for climbers and snowboarders.

Unfortunately, the key innovation, namely the ability to use Apple Watch Series 3 with an electronic SIM card, is not available to us, and the prospects for this technology in Russia are vague. Therefore, if you already have an Apple Watch Series 2 and you did not see something very important for yourself in the list above, then there is no point in updating.

Display

The display remains the same: it is an OLED screen with a brightness of 1,000 nits and an oleophobic coating. This means that the image on Apple Watch is easy to read even under the sun, and the glass itself is almost never dirty.

The deep black color typical of OLED screens is a must for a watch: thanks to it, the transition from the dark part of the display to the rounded edges of the device is completely invisible.

The display resolution is 272 × 340 pixels and 312 × 390 pixels for the 38 and 42 mm versions of the watch, respectively.

Control

All interactions in Apple Watch lead to logical and expected results, so you can figure out and remember the necessary actions in a couple of hours. It's a little more difficult to customize the watch for yourself in the Watch app, but more on that later. All functions of the watch (many of which are not even mentioned in this review) can be controlled using a dozen different actions, which I will try to fit into three paragraphs.

Digital crown … Scrolling will help you scroll through notifications, zoom in and out of icons on the home screen, and smoothly turn on the display backlight. Pressing it toggles between the Home screen and the actual watch face, hold your finger and Siri will answer you. Press twice - and go to the last program.

• Button … A single press opens the Dock (manager of recent or favorites), a double press leads to contactless payments, a long press to turn off Apple Watch or make an emergency call. To take a screenshot, press the button and the crown at the same time.
• Display … Horizontal swipes switch dials, a swipe from the top opens a list of notifications, from the bottom it opens a kind of "Control Center". In it, you can turn on the flashlight, enter the "theater" mode (turn off the automatic backlight), lock the watch for use in water, conduct a ping test on the iPhone, see the battery charge, mute the sound, or set up sound transmission to the headphones. The display also recognizes the force of pressing: using Force Touch, you can control the dials and additional program settings. To "extinguish" Apple Watch, you just need to slap your palm on the screen.

That's all there is to know. You don't have to cram, all actions are carried out intuitively and quickly reach automatism.

Main functions

Working with Watch and "Activity"

The watch is controlled using the Watch app. This is where extensions are installed, programs are configured, the Dock is formed and watch faces are selected.

Here you can see which of your apps have adaptive versions for watches and go to the App Store for Apple Watch.

The next must-have app is Activity. In it, you can see statistics on filling the activity rings, a list of achievements and a summary of training sessions.

Here you can also share your achievements with your Apple Watch friends and watch their results.

Dials

Watch offers about 20 different watch faces, here are the most interesting ones.

• Siri … Displays the presence of traffic jams, weather. You can choose your data sources yourself. Siri messages can be scrolled using the crown.
• Photo … It is always pleasant to watch a photo of a loved one or a football club emblem as a clock saver.
• Kaleidoscope … A classic dial with a smoothly changing splash screen. The crown is spinning - the picture shimmers beautifully.

• Activity … The Activity section includes several watch faces showing calories burned, exercise time, and hours on the move.
• Astronomy … Dial with the image of the Earth, Moon or Solar system. Helps to keep track of the position of planets, sunrises and sunsets in different parts of the Earth and lunar cycles. There are not very many benefits from this, but in my opinion, this is the most curious dial of the presented ones.

Most of the watch faces can be customized: add a timer or stopwatch, an application icon, a time in a different time zone, or something else. To display the maximum of useful information on the watch, four or five dials are enough. I use three.

Workout

Apple Watch adjusts to your exercise and reads sensor information differently based on that exercise. Walking, running, swimming, exercising on specific types of simulators - if your type of exercise was not found in this list, you can choose a mixed workout or "Other" (then, after completing an activity, you can choose a workout type from a wider list).

Also, Apple Watch can collect data via the NFC interface from Cybex, LifeFitness, Matrix, Schwinn, StairMaster, Star Trac and TechnoGym simulators. In Russia they meet, though not in every hall.

The only scenario where the Apple Watch fails me is when using the watch in water workouts. The actual number of meters that you swim is significantly less than what the tracker shows. I assume that the function is designed for professional swimmers: one stroke of mine has less distance traveled than theirs.

Activity rings

User activity is measured in three indicators:

• Calories … The red ring fills up based on how many calories you burned. You can choose the daily rate yourself.
• Exercises … The norm is 30 minutes. The name of the ring is deceptive; in fact, it is not necessary to go in for sports and even do exercises. It is enough just to show a little more physical activity than usual.
• Warm-up watch … The easiest goal to accomplish is just move for at least a minute every hour. Do this for 12 hours and the ring will fill.

In the Activity app, you can keep track of your mobility and add friends from your Apple Watch. For fulfilling and overfulfilling the standards (as well as for success in training), you can get achievements in "Activity".

Heart rate tracking

Apple Watch automatically measures your heart rate every few minutes and correlates it with your current activity. If the heart rate is off scale, and the gyroscope and accelerometer indicate the absence of movement, then the clock sounds the alarm: something is wrong with your heart. Individual characteristics can be indicated by selecting the allowable heart rate mark in Watch.

The watch constantly measures the pulse and heart rate variability (variation in the intervals between beats). All data is exported to Health.

Use without a smartphone

If you have an Apple Watch Series 3, you can use your iPhone much less often. Here are some examples of what you can do without a phone in your hands:

• Receive notifications … An obvious feature that allows you to reach your smartphone only when you receive important notifications.
• Listen to music … The watch version of Apple Music supports key features of the full-length app, displays the same media library, and can download tracks over Wi-Fi. You can set up automatic download of playlists to the device memory. Apple Watch also syncs with Bluetooth headphones without the need for a phone.

Reply to messages … In this case, Apple Watch will offer to dictate a message or use one of the predefined responses. Both options are rather compromise: you can support a friend who has earned a new achievement, but in serious correspondence it is still better to use the phone.

Receive calls … This feature comes in very handy when you don't remember where you put your phone.

Now I can forget which room I left my iPhone in, or go to the back office conference room without it. And nothing terrible will happen.

Apple Watch Apps

Many apps have versions for the Apple Watch. For example, my favorite among podcast apps is Overcast. Not all adaptations are really useful: most of the mini versions of the programs I use never come in handy.

There are applications designed to be used specifically with the watch, for example, the pre-installed "Breathing" or any program from the special App Store for the Apple Watch.

Autonomy

Apple claims 18 hours of Apple Watch battery life and a bunch of caveats. This is due to the fact that everyone uses the gadget differently. In talk mode, the battery, according to Apple, can withstand up to three hours.

I charge my watch every other night. At the same time, they are discharged up to 10–20%. I use my watch all the time, but I take it off when I go to bed, and I exercise no more than twice a week.

When the threshold of 10% of the charge is reached, the watch suggests switching to eco-mode. In this case, only the time will be displayed on the dial, and to return to the normal state, the Apple Watch will have to be rebooted.

Water resistance

Tim Cook claims that you can safely take a shower in the Apple Watch, and personally I do not take them off in the pool.

Remove your watch if you plan to dive more than 50 meters, rinse Apple Watch with fresh water after contact with foam or salt, and remember to choose the correct strap. These are all rules to keep in mind.

The touch display, while in the water, triggers on anything. The water blocking mode will protect you from unintentional clicks. To get out of it, you need to twist the digital crown, after which the speakers "blow" moisture out of the case.

Straps

Silicone, nylon, steel, leather - Apple offers dozens of straps and bracelets. We have three options available: a standard silicone strap out of the box, a sports bracelet and a woven nylon strap.

The nylon sports bracelet with Velcro is my favorite. This design allows you to fix the strap as conveniently as possible with millimeter accuracy.

The woven nylon strap is not as comfortable, but no less cute.

And the included silicone strap loses to nylon competitors in beauty and tactile sensations, but this is the only strap in our set that is suitable for water training. Apple Watch is waterproof, but most bands are not.

Straps and bracelets are attached securely: to remove, you have to press a special button on the inside of the watch. All bands fit any Apple Watch in their size.

Who is Apple Watch Series 3 for

For any iPhone owner with iOS 11. Not just an athlete or a gadget lover. Apple Watch helps you keep track of your workouts and monitor your heart rate, can show notifications, send messages, control music, and a bunch of other useful things. And this is just a watch - the hardest thing to forget and the easiest to carry with you.

To use the activity tracker, you don't have to be active in the classic sense of the word: Apple Watch takes into account the movement technique of wheelchair users and even includes several types of special workouts.

Prices

At the moment, the cost of Apple Watch Series 3 in the official store is 24 490 rubles for the 38 mm version and 26 990 rubles for the modification with a case length of 42 mm. Prices for additional straps and bracelets start at 3,990 rubles and go up to a completely insane 43,990 rubles for block bracelets. In my opinion, this is too expensive for an optional accessory even for the coolest watches, so I will mention that there are cheaper options.

Verdict

Apple Watch Series 3 isn't just a notification duplicator and activity tracker, it's a useful, beautiful and enjoyable gadget. At the time of this writing, I spent a little more than a month with the watch and am ready to say with confidence that Apple Watch makes life better, managing Apple devices is easier, and most importantly, it allows you to get rid of pathological attachment to the phone.

The only controversial point is the choice of a specific Apple Watch model. At the moment, the models of the first and third series are officially on sale. If you need a remote control for iOS devices, an activity tracker and workout tracking, Apple Watch Series 1 is enough. If water resistance and tracking of swimming pool tracks, listening to music without a smartphone and hardware stock for the future, it is better to choose Apple Watch Series 3.

Go to Apple Watch Series 3 page →